Water as a local problem, and a world problem

The Modhera Stepwell in Gujarat India (picture courtesy of Wikimedia\0

The essence of  global education is to engage and involve students in their own education as they learn about the world, often you will hear the terms, problem or inquiry based learning. We had a presentation by Raj from Biome Solutions a hybrid not for profit/for profit organization in Bangalore. Raj shared with us the problems of water in Banglore; how it effects the environment; and how global education has made a difference for our world and students in some Bangalore communities. 

 Water is the staple of life and comes from natural bodies of water and groundwater. The stepwells are are an architectural design to reach groundwater and also served as community gathering spot.   By the nature of it's design, it also measured whether it would be a good year or a bad year. A high water level indicates  enough water to plant, while a lower one would be a sign of drought. The monsoons of  India can replenish the groundwater, but a system to reach the water to provide access is restricted to those who are wealthy enough to pay for a borewell, a drilled hole in the ground to water. Another source of  Bangalore's water comes from the Nandi hills, an important ecosystem the origin of six rivers. 

As Bangalore has grown some of the rivers have been run dry by use. The city has had to build a pipeline to have water come from farther away and a great deal of bureaucracy that handles the process. In a bureaucratic manner toilets and running water had been added to schools in a manner that has provided more headaches than help.

Add in pollution concerns, it is a story of inequity. The very source of life that everyone should have access to is not so accessible. This is where Biome comes in. As Raj explained, every crisis is an opportunity. They wanted to create  solutions that would help, were sustainable, could work around social and political concerns and actually invite copycats. 

Their solution involved working with school and  engaging students in the decision process. They noticed that newly installed toilets weren't used because the bureaucrats neglected to understand school cultures.  Biome worked with schools to have students identify and understand the issues and have students create solutions. Biome helped seed ideas, but the ultimate solution was in the students hands. This process of student engagement has created lasting solutions.

Like every city Bangalore has it's share of problems. As a casual observer it would be easy for me to only notice the dirt, and the crazy streams of water when a monsoon rain comes through. A resident could spend all of their time complaining about the problem. Instead a concerned company acted in an innovative way to solve a problem by by stepping around the bureaucracy. New solutions to new problems can be done. Global education is to guide students to be these innovators of the future.